The good news of Christ
What points might you add?
What windows look upon your face,
Through darkest hour and hardest race,
Where can we see the upward turn? —
Your sovereign hand we’d soon discern.
I see the waves and howling wind,
The chilly vale where men walk blind,
And fail, in swelling pride, to heal —
I most believe the fear I feel.
Till Jesus comes, will I have faith?
Or will I be an object of wrath?
My will to endure, O Lord, is small —
Along the way let me not fall.
Lord, help my piety to be a response to your grace, and not an impulse of my guilt.
Help my works to be an outflowing of gratitude, and not a begrudging effort to win your approval.
Help my faith to be a profound confidence in your word, and not an invention of my expectations for your intervention.
Help my love to be a response in kind to your compassion and glory, rather than an extension of weak human passion.
Lord, let me sensitive to the needs of those around me and to address those needs in a way that will be helpful to the needy. Keep me from being a burden to others. May my service truly serve others and glorify you.
May others see that you are a God who loves and cares for them. Make your character evident in your people.
Praise belongs to you and all creatures glorify you. The world and universe declare your greatness. Open our eyes to your magnificence. Draw us into your fellowship.
We trust you to guide us in the right way. We believe that you will protect and shield us from harm. We know that you have always kept your word and fulfilled your promise. Joy is ours because you are God.
Hold me steady on the course of Christ,
Supply your Spirit’s wind to bear me along.
Do not lose me in the sudden storm;
Nor let me fall and drown in heavy seas.
Keep me from losing heart in calmer waters;
Daily renew resolve to serve and love.
Remind me I must never venture alone,
but travel with the seasoned crew of faith.
Matthew chapter 16 provides a scale of faith. Where are we along this scale?
To be pleasing to God, we need to reach the last stage of faith.
Father, make your blessing increase in our midst, as in the multiplication of bread and fish, not for material gain, but for spiritual progress. Make your presence reach everyone as we share our joy.
Reassure us of your goodness, as we, in the family of faith, share our burdens with one another. Continue reading “Make your presence reach everyone”
O Lord, my swings of faith on your hanging ropes —
Let grow my grip, increase my eternal hopes.
So many needs, so many cries
In this old world of sin and pain,
How quick are we to believe our eyes,
And easy to forget you reign. Continue reading “In Suffering Let My Faith Revive”